Fruit Salad. Yummy Yummy!

Okay if you have children then more than likely you know all about the title right? You know, the Wiggles!!! They have a song about fruit salad. I made an amazing fruit salad last weekend for the book club. I love making fresh fruit salads. Although, my Aunt Teresa makes an amazing fruit salad from fruit cocktail, bananas and orange juice. Seriously, so good!

But for this fruit salad I made, it was so simple. I used small red seedless grapes, blueberries, strawberries, fresh pineapple and clementines. It's so pretty and colorful right?

I love fresh pineapple. Boy, it's not exactly the easiest to cut up but man, is it ever good. It is so sweet and the texture is a little hard but then soft and it is so juicy. Mmmmm, there is only good things to say. I also love clementines. They are small oranges and juicy. but, the thing I like best about them is that they are easy as heck to peel. Right? Peeling oranges kept my friend Larry in grad school from eating oranges. Ha! Okay, that may be bad and extreme, but true. With clementines there is no excuse because they are so simple!

This fruit salad was amazing. OMG!! So incredibly good. how do you make/like your fruit salad??

Do You Love Meringues??? Or Should I Say Cloud Fluff??

I just recently started loving Meringues. Mmmmm...sooooo yummy! I have some vanilla ones from Trader Joe's right now (don't worry my friends in Texas without Trader Joe's, you can get Meringues almost anywhere!). I had them sitting out for the book club last weekend and they were such a hit. My mom has always liked Meringues but me notsomuch, until recently. I'm so glad I started liking them though because OMG!!! they are fab-u-lous!!! And they are fat free. What's not to love about that right??? I've seen them in a variety of different flavors and am excited to try all of them.

They are so pretty too right? I love the shape of them. It is fun and whimsical and they are light and fluffy. Maybe they should be called Cloud Fluff instead of Meringues. Ha! :)

Do you like Meringues and what flavor is your favorite???

Crock Pot Bread Pudding

So, continuing on with the Chick Lit Book Club menu, we come to another dish I made. I made this amazing Apple Bread Pudding and it is made in the crock pot. Yep, that's right, in the crock pot!!! What's easier than that right? (I wish the above picture did more justice, you'll just have to trust me on how incredible it is.)

You mix together 3 eggs and 2 cups of milk (or Half & Half or Cream) and 1/2 cup of sugar. You then add in 1 can (21 ounces) of Apple Pie Filling (yep canned pie filling). Next cut 1 loaf of Cinnamon Raisin Bread into cubes and add into the egg and apple mixture. Pour this then into a greased crock pot and cook on low for 3 hours. Let set uncovered for 45 minutes. I then dobbed some whipped topping on top.

Mmmmmm, OMG!! Yummy!! Everyone will think it is fab-u-lous and they will think you are fab-u-lous for making it!!!! It is so easy. It is perfect for a dinner dessert or for card club or Bunco get togethers or brunch.

Nutella & Nanners

I started a Chick Lit Book Club and we met for the first time yesterday. I hosted the first meeting at my place. I made so many yummy foods and so keep checking back this week to see what all we had.

I was at a conference a couple of weeks ago and had something like chocolate and banana won-tons. And so I got to thinking that since this was going to be a brunch type of food affair it would be great to mix Nutella and bananas and fill won-tons and then fry them. OMG!!! So incredibly yummy!!! They were super fab-u-lous!!! The ultimate, uber, dessert!! Seriously, I cannot say enough about them.

They were really easy to make. I just took a little bit (you really need to keep it to a little bit or it will be too full (yes there is such a thing) and seep out the sides), probably like a tsp. and place in the center of a won-ton wrapper (these can be found in the grocery store where the tofu is) and then place a little bit of banana on top of that. Fold it up and seal it with some water on your fingertip and then drop into a pot of hot oil. It doesn't take long at all to cook so definitely keep an eye them.

They are so crunchy and then gooey and warm and chocolately. OMG!! Sooooo good. They were a big hit and everyone seemed to like them. I can't say if they were really healthy, but Nutella is somewhat good for you considering it tastes like chocolate and then you have the bananas, which are a fruit. If it weren't for the frying part they would be perfect. Well, perfect for the health conscious people. Who are they again????

Down on the Farm Pizza

I really really love pizza. I swear my sister, Missy, and I could eat it every night and never get sick of it. I'm not a pizza snob either, I like it anyway and anywhere. I can Dominoe's, Pizza Hut, fancier restaurant pizza and even some frozen pizzas. However, every now and then I like making my own pizza. It's really easy and I can include all of the favorite toppings and it doesn't cost me $1.75 extra per topping! (Seriously, that's what it cost at the cheaper pizza places in Connecticut. It's insane!)

When I'm at my mom's place I will even make my own crust using her bread machine. Sometimes I make it ahead of time and freeze them so I have them when I need them, but that hasn't happened for awhile. And so, I bought some pizza dough at Trader Joe's and you know how healthy Trader Joe's is and so it is was whole wheat pizza dough. I was hesitant, but decided to get it anyway. It ended up being really moist and not too sticky or doughy (is doughy a word?). As you notice in the picture above I am using a pizza stone. I got mine through Pampered Chef and I LOVE my pizza stone. It is incredible and cooks everything so evenly. It is definitely worth every penny because they can be a little pricey, but again so worth it!

I made a veggie pizza this time (hence the farm reference in the title) and used a lot of my favorite veggies, such as mushrooms and black olives (are black olives a veggie???). I used the canned ones. Oh hush up. Who cares if they were canned versus fresh. Get over it. :) I also shredded my own mozzarella. Actually that wasn't my intention, I thought I was buying fresh mozzarella and was going to slice it and just put that on the pizza with some fresh basil, but then opened it and realized it wasn't fresh and so my plans changed. Thank goodness for some well-stocked canned goods. Phleh. :) I also really like the Pepino Pizza Sauce that you can get in the Pizza sauce aisle at the grocery store. However, I realized that I didn't have any and so this time I used Trader Joe's Marinara Sauce. It was more watery than I like on a pizza, but I didn't put a lot on and so it was okay.

I then put it in a 425 degree oven for about 8 minutes and walluh, perfecto! Okay, maybe not perfecto, but it was really good. It was so cheesy, which is how I like it. Sure, it makes it more difficult to eat because it is flimsy, but it was cheesy and that's all that really matters right?

Do you make your own pizza and what are your favorite toppings?

No Pudge Brownies

These are brownies are fab-u-lous!!! Seriously, you cannot even tell they are fat free. They are moist and gooey and yummy! I've seen them in a lot of different grocery stores and so I am guessing they are in yours too. Check the healthy or organic section or the brownie section. They come in a variety of flavors, but I just got the regular ones. You only have to add plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt and that's it! OMG!!! So, so good!

They are so gooey and cake-like. 100% serious that you cannot tell they are fat free. You know when you buy something low fat or fat free and you can tell when you are eating it that it is fat free? Well, not with these. They are so chocolately. It is amazing. Once you eat these, you will never buy regular brownies again!!

No Silence with these Lambs

I bought some lamb chops at Trader Joe's the other day. I have never made lamb chops and I'm not even sure if I've ever eaten lamb chops, but they looked good. I've seen people on Food Network make lamb chops and they are always talking about how easy their recipes are right?

I found a recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis on foodnetwork.com and it looked easy, said it was easy and sounded yummy. For the cooking of the lamb chops you simply salt and pepper the lamb chops and then chop up 2 tbsp. of rosemary and sprinkle over the lamb chops. Cook over the grill for about 5 minutes per side.

In the meantime you make the sauce, which consists of 1/3 basalmic vinegar, 2 tbsp. honey and 1 chopped clove of garlic.

When the lamb chops are finished you drizzle (mine was more like a pour because I like it saucy) the sauce over them.

OMG!!! So so good. I mean really, really good. They are really easy to make too. So, go ahead and try them. You'll like them!!

And so the Eggnog is Gone for Another Year

If I have my choice of plain coffee, I choose Dunkin' Donuts, but if I want a latte or a flavored coffee drink then I am all about Starbucks. Those red holiday cups get me every year. There is something about Starbuck's bringing out the red holiday cups that puts me in the Christmas spirit.

I love, love, love the Eggnog Latte at Starbuck's. I seriously can't enough of them. I order it the same every time, Grande Skim Eggnog Latte 140 degrees. I get it at 140 degrees (or kid temperature) because I want to drink it right away. If I get it made normal then it is way too hot and I cannot stand burning my tongue. So, if you ask for it kid temperature then it is hot, but not so hot that you have to wait to drink it.

Today was the last day I could get the Eggnog Latte. I just lucked out that I went in today because after this they are gone for another year. :( I was informed though that the Gingerbread and Pumpkin Spice would be available through March though. Gingerbread, notsomuch, but OMG!!! Yummy Pumpkin Spice, which is another of my all-time favorites.

Do you frequent Starbuck's and what is your favorite drink?

These Chips Rock (or Pop)

I tried these new chips recently and OMG!!! let me tell you, they are the most fab-u-lous chips EVER!!! They are Pop Chips. They are not fried and they are not baked, they are just heated til they pop. This makes them pretty healthy for you considering you are eating chips. Very cool!!! I am a huge chip fan and so these are right up my alley. I don't feel guilty (okay I don't feel guilty too often anyway) about eating many of them.

They come in a variety of flavors, which I am sure I will be trying all of them real soon, but so far I have only had the originals. They kind of remind me of Munchos, which are pretty fantastic too!

You seriously need to go to your grocery store and buy these immediately because they are all that (and a bag of chips). Ha! :)

Tofu Noodle Fettuccine Loaded

I got this recipe from Hungry Girl, who is fab-u-lous!!! If you have never heard of Hungry Girl, check out her website here. She is just a gal who is always hungry.

She tries to stick with low-calorie, good-for-you foods and her cookbook has recipes that all under 200 calories!!! Yep, you read that correctly!! She has been on a lot of news shows lately and stops by the Rachel Ray show often. Tonight, I made the Fettuccine with veggies. Well, it wasn't your normal fettuccine. I used the Tofu Shirataki Angel Hair noodles.They are actually pretty good and uber healthy for you too! They are made out of tofu, which I am a fan of by the way. They smell a little fishy, but you can rinse them off and all is well. You can find them in your grocery store in the healthy section, right around where the other tofu is. I think it is normally in the refrigerated section.

An entire bag is your serving size!!! Seriously, the ENTIRE bag!!! So, you take one bag of Shirataki Noodles, and drain them and then dry them really well. You can use either a cheese cloth or paper towels. You want to then cut them up a bit with some kitchen scissors.

Then chop 1/2 cup of red bell pepper, 1/2 of zucchini, and 1/2 cup of broccoli florets. Cover these in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.

Next place your noodles, 2 tsp. of low-fat Parmesan cheese, and 1 tbsp. of fat free or low fat sour cream into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stir completely, and microwave another minute.

Stir everything and add salt and pepper and garlic powder or chili powder to taste. It is a humongous amount of food and really good and healthy for you. And it is soooo easy. It only takes about 10 minutes of prep total! And if you are doing WW it is only 3 points!!! Really, I know. Can you believe it?? Yummy!!!! Super duper licious.

Mrs. Gibbles is Yummolicious!!!

Does your grocery store sell Gibbles Potato Chips? Well, they are delicious and they are made in Chambersburg, PA., which is my hometown. If you remember back to one of my earlier posts where I was talking about foldies, you will totally understand why the Gibbles chips are so good. :)

Next door to the Gibbles company is a restaurant called Mrs. Gibbles Family Restaurant. We went there tonight. It was my first time but oh so not my last. It was sooooo good. Mmmmm... Everyone orders a meat or entree and then all of the sides are served family style, which I love. We had mashed potatoes and corn as our sides. They first serve you a salad and corn fritters. OMG!! CORN FRITTERS!!! Fab-u-lous!!! They also have this amazing homemade salad dressing which is incredible. It is a little bit sweet and a little bit sour. It's just incredible. I'm not sure if you can order it online or not. Just go to their website and check it out to see if you can.

I ordered the Barbecue Pork Ribs and they were fall-off-of-the-bone good!!! They were so incredibly tender and juicy. OMG!!! Seriously, so good.

So, if you are ever in Chambersburg, PA. stop on by or the next time you are in your grocery store look for their chips. Really, really good.

No Losing These Meatballs

The title comes from that silly song we sang as kids. You know the one, "On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese. I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed." That song is really crazy actually if you think about the words. The meatball rolled off the table and onto the floor and then the person follows it?? Gross!!! Ha! :)

Anywho, for one of our family parties last week my mom decided to make the meatball recipe that you always see in the magazines this time of year. I don't think I ever noticed it as much before, but now that we have made them I see it in every magazine I read.

It is really the simplest of recipes and oh so good. You take a 2 lb. bag of already cooked meatballs and i jar of Heinz Chili Sauce and 1 can of Jellied Cranberry Sauce. Then cook these all togethre on the stove. Well, I am a lover of the crock pot and so I did it in the crock pot. I put everything in a couple of hours in advance (you could do it in the morning though) and put it on Low or Warm and then forget about it. Then when you are ready for dinner, it's all set and ready to eat!

They really are that easy and that good!!! They were a huge hit at the party. It sounds weird using both chili sauce and cranberry sauce together in one recipe, but it goes together perfectly! So good! It has a sweet and spicy taste together, which is always a party in your mouth.

So, for your next party or get together or just for dinner some night, make these meatballs. Trust me, they will be eaten so fast that none of them will be left to roll onto the floor!

Sweet Potato Bisque

I have had this Sweet Potato Bisque from Trader Joe's for awhile and decided to make it the other night. I think I have had this before but I cannot remember. But anyway, it is soooooo good. And it is so easy because it is all ready to cook when you buy it. Just pour it out of the container and cook on the stove or in the microwave and that's it! It has a really cool lid to reclose if you don't want to make the whole container at once.

Of course I had to add my dollop of sour cream on top. Now I have those Daisy commercial song in my head. You know the one, "A dollop of Daisy...". Uuggghhh, now I keep hearing it. And now I bet you do too right? :)

On behalf of the Food Lovers Everywhere I accept...

Thank you so much from the Wife over at The Cobia Family for my Chic Blog Award. I love it! I am a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe and so this blog award is fab-u-lous!!! I am forwarding the Chic Blog Award to:
Southern College Girl
Joshua Brody Francis
Clemson Girl and the Coach
Boyd's Crazy Mama
Simply Southern
His Doorkeeper
Kiss My Pink Tiara
Goosman Art
Kim's Stampin' Pad
Dirty Pretty Things to Ponder
Sweet, Sassy, Southern and Classy

This blogs are all very Chic and I love reading them!!!

Long John Silver's = Oh My Stomach!!

My mom and I went to Long John Silver's tonight for dinner and now I am paying for it. Don't get me wrong, I love Long John Silver's, but it doesn't always love me back. The food is delicious. I mean, c'mon, it is fried and greasy and what else do you need to make it good. That malt vinegar they have just makes everything else on the menu more delectable. Plus the hushpuppies are soooo good. And they always give you those little crunchies. You know what I am talking about, the little pieces of fried batter.

I usually order the 2 Chicken Planks & More, which means it comes with 2 chicken planks, 2 hushpuppies, french fries, and cole slaw. And it is the creamy cole slaw, which is so good.

But after it's all said and done I get what my sister, Missy, calls Gut Rot. This is that yucky feeling in your stomach, when you have had to much fried and greasy food. But, you like it and so you keep going back to the same place even though you know the consequences. Do you like Long John Silver's? Does it like you? Do you have a similar place that you like going to even though you know how you will feel later?

Red Velvet Yumminess

I love Red Velvet Cake. I mean, what's not to love? It's red, which is one of my favorite colors, and soft and sweet and it has a thick layer of old fashioned cream cheese icing!!!! Mmmmmm.. Yummy!! The other night I made some Red Velvet cupcakes to take to a New Year's Eve party. They are so simple, but oh so good.

You first just make the cupcakes by the directions on the box of a Red Velvet Cake Mix. My Aunt Martha Jane would be killing me right now if I was admitting to anyone that I made cake from a box. She swears she has NEVER made a cake from a box. She was appalled when she heard that I do. :)

I use an ice cream scoop (my mom's idea) to put the icing into the cupcake papers. It's never easy and it always makes a mess, but using an ice-cream scoop is really easy and there is essentially no mess at all.

Anywho, when the cupcakes are finished and cooled completely, juts take a container of cream cheese icing and ice the cupcakes and that's it. Really, really simple!!!! Now, I do on occasion make my own cream cheese icing, which is not that difficult and takes super duper fab-u-lous, but I was pressed for time and didn't have my recipe book at my mom's house and so I just used the store bought icing and it was still really good!!

Pork & Sauerkraut for Good Luck

It's a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition to have pork & sauerkraut on New Year's Day for good luck throughout the year. So, every New Year's Day for as long as I can remember we have had pork & sauerkraut. My mom usually makes this on the stove but this year we were having a family get together with my mom's whole side of the family and so I decided to do the dish in the crock pot.

First you take some pork chops and put them directly into the crock pot. I buy the boneless and skinless ones because it just makes it easier.

Then add two cans of sauerkraut and some water and that's it. Put the crock pot on low and just let it cook nice and slowly.

Right before you are ready to eat, make some mashed potatoes and some dumplings. My mom just uses the dumplings recipe from the Bisquick box. Mmmmm...the dumplings are yummy! When making the sauerkraut on the stove, you can drop the dumplings right into the sauerkraut pot when it is boiling, 10 minutes with the lid on and then 10 minutes with the lid off and they should be fully cooked. If you are cooking it in the crock pot then you can probably do it the same way, just make sure your sauerkraut is boiling.

Then you put the mashed potatoes on your plate and then some of the pork and sauerkraut on top of the mashed potatoes. OMG!! It is so good. And luck for the rest of the year!!!